Winter Park Approves Addition Of Officer To Motorcycle Patrol

WINTER PARK — An anonymous donor is giving the police department a new motorcycle. That means one more officer will be available to issue traffic tickets and raise more money for the city.

The city commission on Tuesday authorized adding an officer to the police department during the current fiscal year with $7,836 from the city's surplus funds. That will cover starting expenses and two months' salary.

A memo from police Capt. Dale Wasson, traffic division chief, said the extra motorcycle officer would generate about $22,000 more revenue for the city during the first year. That would help offset the $26,859 first-year cost of the new officer.

City Manager David Harden said the additional motorcycle officer probably will be someone already with the department, and that will create a new opening. It will be about two months before the new traffic officer starts working, he said.

Harden said the donation of the motorcycle, worth about $6,700, is timely because the city has had several requests from residents for increased traffic enforcement.

Last year Winter Park added a sixth motorcycle officer, and the revenue earned from fines and forfeitures increased by $45,728 over the $254,213 earned in 1983-1984. However, the fines also increased.